


Birthday Kisses

by Holypotatowhisperer



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, America/England Fluff (Hetalia), Birthday Fluff, Cute England (Hetalia), Jealous America (Hetalia), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-02 23:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19452169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holypotatowhisperer/pseuds/Holypotatowhisperer
Summary: Arthur has always thought that he was average; to him, he had nothing that particularly stood out. So when people actually remembered to celebrate his birthday, he was caught quite off guard.Pairings : USUK with slight various/England.





	Birthday Kisses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kizanami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kizanami/gifts).



> Author : This is also a belated birthday gift for another friend of mine! Since I just recently created this account and with being encouraged by my friends, I decide to post it here! Thank you for the support!
> 
> Sending special birthday wishes to my dear friend, who i love spending time with! Thank you for always being such a great friend through the good and difficult times. You're the best!
> 
> Beta-ed by the awesome Ryusha
> 
> And to everyone else, have fun and enjoy!

Cheerful birds chirped melodiously that morning, welcoming another sunny day to the small town. A two-storey wooden house surrounded by a beautiful garden stood at one corner with a few shady trees as its companions; encircled by still growing rose bushes, the Kirkland’s residence merged perfectly with the nature around it. Spoiling whoever walked by with a natural sight. In one of the rooms of the cosy home, a young teen slept peacefully despite the sunlight that managed to sneak in through the window. Knocks at his door were still unable to bring him back from dreamland, he just fidgeted a little underneath the green duvet and continued sleeping. The person on the other side of the door grew impatient, and immediately twisted the doorknob, a bright smile spreading across their face as they noted it unlocked. Without wasting time, the ginger haired man entered the room and jumped on the bed. The sleeping blond jolted awake in surprise (and annoyance) making the younger one grin smugly. 

"Good morning, Artie!" He greeted cheerfully, casting aside the glare sent at him.  
"Connor! For God's sake, could you not? You'll break my bones someday." Came the grumpy reply from Arthur (definitely not Artie).

"You're still complaining so that means you're okay!" His brother casually remarked, being then pushed aside by Arthur as he sat up.

His scowl deepened and before he could retort, Connor shut him up with a kiss on one of his round cheeks. Reflexively, Arthur shrieked, a blush immediately covering his face; embarrassed and rather shocked to receive such a sweet treatment from Connor first thing upon waking up.

"Brat!" His yell was promptly ignored by the laughing redhead, who had already run away, but his next words calmed his annoyance a bit.

"Happy birthday!" Connor shouted as he ran down the stairs. A small smile made its way up to Arthur’s face, waking up first thing in the morning by affection from Connor wasn’t that bad after all.

Hearing Connor say goodbye to the others as he left for school, and the slam of the front door told Arthur that, he too, should get ready. He left the comfy bed and went to the bathroom to start his morning routine. After he was fresh and clean, the Brit changed into his school uniform and picked up his bag. Reaching the kitchen, he could hear two familiar voices talking calmly, they belonged to Dylan and Scott. With a soft greeting, Arthur joined his red-haired brothers at the table. As soon as he sat down, a tray of a complete English breakfast was placed in front of him.

"Good morning, and happy birthday, Arthur." A soft voice spoke before the blond received a gentle kiss on his temple from Dylan.

Arthur smiled up shyly and thanked him as he sat next to him, ignoring the snorting adult sitting ahead of them. The small blond started to eat but before he could finish it, a child ran up to him, tugging at his sleeve to steal his attention. There stood the youngest of the Kirkland’s with a solid pout on his face. The blue eyes were staring down at his feet, and for a moment Arthur thought the boy was going to cry, quickly he squatted down in front of him.

"What's wrong, Peter?" Arthur asked, but he only got a low murmur from his youngest brother, "Yes?" Arthur gently made him lift his face up.

The boy in question was still pouting but his flaring blue eyes stared right into his green ones as he sprang into action that almost made Arthur fall on his ass. The little boy pecked him on the lips, a triumphal grin broke across his face upon seeing Arthur's shocked face.

"I should be the first one to greet you on your birthday, but that’s okay since I have given you the best surprise ever! You hadn’t seen that coming, had you?" Peter declared proudly; his grin quickly disappeared as his forehead was flicked.

"Who taught you that?" It was Dylan, the perpetrator and responsible for ruining Peter's victorious moment.

The boy started to protest and whine, especially when he was picked up and carried away by Dylan to get ready for school. The college student didn't have morning class that day, so he offered to drive their little brother to school before going out for groceries. Dylan was definitely the 'mum' of their household. Arthur chuckled at the sight, he didn’t even have the chance to react properly (and scold Peter) to that unexpected kiss, but of course no matter, Peter wouldn’t listen to him anyway. Already seated back on his previous spot, Arthur went back to eating, to be once again interrupted, this time by Scott.

"Yer still as clumsy as ever." The oldest spoke up after sitting in silence for some time. Arthur looked at him, confusion clear in his face at Scott’s words.

Without giving further clarification, Scott stood up and slowly approached the blond. A hand reached out, making the Arthur lean back reflexively. The red haired tilted up Arthur's chin with his hand, getting closer to the nervous blond until the younger shut his eyes tight in slight fear. Scott smirked, enjoying the sight of his usual proper little brother shuddering under his hand. He wanted to tease him a bit more, but he’ll let Arthur have peace on his special day. So, he simply pulled out a handkerchief from his trousers’ pocket to clean the corner of Arthur's lips. The soft touch made him open his eyes, his face flushing bright red just by seeing how close his brother was. Shy green eyes looked up to Scott's own darker green ones, the older male rarely showed affection for him or anyone, so seeing him gently wiping his face clean actually stunned him. The blond stared up at the other, mesmerized by the fondness shown on Scott's face.

"Why are ye lookin’ at me like that? Ye thought I would kiss ye too? Silly Arthur, ye like being kissed, huh? I was just cleaning up the mess on yer face, since yer such an eejit."

Until his brother spoke and ruined the peaceful moment. Just like that, the adoration brimming in his eyes instantly vanished and Scott received a glare which didn't look intimidating at all in the Scott’s eyes. The redhead knew the moment Arthur opened his mouth, he would start a rant and be furious at him for a good few hours. He didn't have time nor patience for that, thus he put a hand over the blond’s lips, ignoring the nasty look he got from him and before Arthur could react and fight to free himself, he gently planted a short kiss on his forehead. The bewildered Brit sat there stilled in shock.

"There, now I should get goin’ and ye should too. I won't drive ye to school if ye miss the bloody bus." The smirking redhead warned, picking up the briefcase on the table and walking out nonchalantly from the kitchen.

The fuming Brit quickly cleaned up the table, taking the dirty dishes to the sink. He only had ten minutes before the bus arrived, so he hurried to put on his shoes and make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. Deciding to get back at Scott later, the high school student took his leave and walked calmly towards the bus stop that was located not far from his home. As soon as he closed the front gate, he heard the horn sounding from Scott's car.

"Try not to come home late today! And, oh—! Happy birthday, lassie!" And the car disappeared from his view as Scott drove off laughing after embarrassing his favourite brother.

"Who are you calling lassie, git!" The flustered Brit yelled back, quickly walking away when he noticed a group of middle-aged women that had definitely heard what was said and were giggling. One of them even sent him a sympathetic smile which was ignored by Arthur. He acted like nothing had happened and continued walking.

Finally regaining his composure, Arthur arrived at the bus stop quicker than he had imagined. Sitting down on the bench, he closed his eyes, enjoying the fresh morning breeze with a smile, birds chirping happily in the tree behind him. Arthur had no idea of how breath-taking he looked at that moment, unaware of the lucky passer-by. Pale skin and blond hair that almost seemed to glow beneath the sunlight… His natural charm was able to captivate the eyes of everyone, including a young man who so happened to be passing by. The stranger couldn't take his eyes away from the beauty. He failed to notice the obstacles ahead of him thus he walked straight into a lamppost and went down with a bloody nose.

Another one, mesmerized by Arthur accidentally dropped his phone and that finally got the Brit's attention. Green eyes snapping open, only to see a person standing before him smiling softly.

'Since when is he here?' The Brit pondered.  
"Good morning, Arthur." Said the person, who was actually one of his Juniors’, Matthew.

The Brit returned the greeting and stood up, a brief pout forming as he had to look up at the other even while standing, the Canadian was very tall despite being younger than him. His pout quickly vanished when unexpectedly Matthew reached out a hand to pluck something from his cheek.

"There was an ant on your cheek." He explained, showing the tiny ant on his finger to Arthur.

The smaller blond rubbed his now red cheek as he thanked Matthew. The other offered him a kind smile before it turned mischievous.

"You're so sweet, Arthur. Even the ants can't resist you."

The Brit sputtered, almost choking on his own saliva when the ever-polite Matthew teased him. He huffed and said nothing, just looked away, trying to hide the bright shameful blush on his cheeks. Beside him Matthew smirked. Unable to stand under the violet gaze brimming with playfulness, Arthur quickly climbed into the bus which had, thankfully, arrived just in time to save him from awkwardness and embarrassment. The Canadian followed after him and they ended up sitting together in the back since there were no more empty seats. They spent the rest of the ride in silence and Arthur was quite thankful for that, the heat on his cheeks was still there, he couldn't look at the other's eyes.

*  
Dropping of the bus, they walked together into school, and finally, Matthew managed to coax Arthur into talking again.

"Oh, right! Here, for you." Matthew suddenly took out a neat wrapped present from his backpack and gave it to Arthur. "Happy birthday! May this year bring only goodness to you." He added with a small grin.

Arthur accepted the present, smiling timidly as he didn't expect Matthew to even know his birthday.

"Thank you, but you didn’t have to, really. Not that I don't appreciate it but—" He was cut short when he received a quick peck on his cheek.

"It was no problem, Arthur." Matthew reassured the stunned Brit before bidding him goodbye, he had to return some books to the library, so he had to leave.

Arthur looked down, staring at his own feet trying his hardest to hide the genuine smile spreading across his lips. The happy Brit shook his head a little after, putting the gift inside his bag. He had no at idea why everyone was suddenly giving him kisses, not only his family but his friends as well.

Continuing his walk, Arthur finally entered the school building, but he found himself interrupted again by a voice calling out to him. He turned around and immediately frowned upon sighting of the one who had called him, it was Francis. And walking right behind him were Antonio and Gilbert, the infamous troublemakers of their school had made their presence known surprisingly early today. The Frenchman promptly tackled him, hugging him before Arthur could punch him in the face, Francis still had the nerve to grope him shamelessly. Arthur squeaked, face twisting into a displeasured scowl as Francis kept with his assault. The fuming Brit kicked the perverted man’s crotch, automatically freeing himself as the Frenchman bent over and groaned in pain.

"You're so mean! I just wanted to greet you and wish you a happy birthday!" The Vice-President of the Students Council whined, but the President only glared.

"Save your useless excuses.”

Pouting some more, Francis flipped his hair back, slightly recovered from the pain. He waved off Arthur's remark and bustled through his pocket, the Brit raised an eyebrow as the flamboyant French student then presented him with a single red rose, that he pulled out of his pocket (how he managed to fit it there, he had no idea).

"Can you just be nice this one time and accept my present?" Francis questioned sounding rather annoyed as Arthur just kept staring at the rose without actually taking it.

Seeing that for once Francis was being sincere, Arthur debated with himself for one good minute before sighing soundlessly and relenting. Just once he'd be a little nicer to one of his childhood friends (although he would never admit that) and took the rose from his hand. 

Francis smiled happily, glad that Arthur accepted it, "Bon anniversaire, mon petite Arthur."

Arthur actually wanted to thank him, but Francis took it as a chance to plant a kiss on his cheek and then quickly fleeing just before Arthur could hit him again.

"Frog bastard!" Arthur yelled at him. His annoying laugh was the only thing he got in return, making him more peeved.

Arthur was about to throw the rose away but stopped himself. This was a gift from the stupid pervert, it would be rude of him to throw it away, he was a gentleman! That is… Until the scene of a naked Francis with only a rose covering his privates came to his mind. Suddenly he was hit with an ill feeling and threw the rose into a nearby trash can, rubbing his hand on his trousers right after.

A tap on his shoulder pulled his attention then to a tanned boy. Arthur turned around and almost hit his face on a big red thing. The thing turned out to be a tomato plush toy. A grinning Spaniard stood before him, waiting for Arthur to take it into his arms.

"¡Feliz cumpleaños, amigo! Espero que lo disfrutes." Antonio blurted out in his native language.

The honest smile from Antonio was able to melt away some of his annoyance towards Francis. He mumbled a soft gratitude and took the huggable plush toy into his arms.

"I didn't know what to give you, so I bought that! I hope you like it though!" The Spaniard confessed sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck as he stared down at his adorable friend.

"It's fine, I like it very much. Thank you." And lucky Antonio was rewarded with Arthur's beautiful smile, despite it only being a slight curl of the corner of his lips.

Antonio gulped, his face felt like it was burning, and his heart was brimming with pride for managing to get a smile from the usually cynical and grumpy blond. He faked a cough to cover himself up, it was also an attempt to prevent himself from tackling Arthur into a crushing hug. The Spaniard didn't want to receive the same treatment as Francis.

"Really? I'm so happy! The tomato reminded me of you. You always look like a delicious tomato when you’re blushing, which is the cutest thing I've ever seen." Without knowing what kind of consequence that might ensue, Antonio casually spoke his mind, leaving Arthur in a stuttering, blushing mess.

The lack of comeback from the blond drew out a rather smug grin from Antonio. The Brit was clearly refusing to meet his eyes, only hugging the plush toy close to himself while still grumbling about how Antonio should get his eyes checked and that he was anything but cute. Antonio chuckled at the loveable sight before he too dropped a kiss on the Brit’s cheek. Arthur shrieked and automatically touched the spot he was kissed on, it was followed by a yell coming from behind the fugitive Antonio, and it belonged to a certain albino.

"Hey! What about me?!" Gilbert shouted and pouted seeing both of his best friends kissing the Brit was very unfair to him.

The delinquent fumed, cursing the other two. After he calmed down a bit, Gilbert focused back on the blond. Arthur began to fidget beneath the intense stare of those flaring red eyes, it wasn't usual for Gilbert to become serious like that. Arthur glared right back then only to be met with a rather passionate gaze.

"What? Don't you dare think of doing what they did." Arthur stated, still hugging the plushie against his chest as if it could protect him from whatever idiotic idea was running through the Prussian’s mind.

Gilbert snapped out of his thoughts and grinned sheepishly. Without responding, Gilbert just took out a book from his bag and placed it on the Brit’s hand. Green eyes glanced down, widening as he read the title of it.

"This is... How did you get this? I searched for this book everywhere!" Arthur was positively shocked, thumb running through the golden letters printed on the book’s cover.

'The Wolf and His Rabbit' was written neatly and elegantly on it, with the illustration of a blond man with wolf ears holding in his arms a smaller blond with a pair of bunny ears. Both the main characters were smiling happily, a lovely green field as the background. Arthur's eyes lightened up, shining with happiness as he finally got to hold the book he had wanted for so long.

"It seems like you missed a bookstore in this city~ Luckily, being the awesome person that I am, I went there and found it. I noticed you really wanted it, so I bought it for you."

Actually Gilbert had bought the book online, ever since they discovered their shared interest in books, they became a lot closer and sometimes went out together to bookstores. And since last time Arthur hadn’t been able to find the book he wanted, Gilbert made it his mission to find it and give it to the Brit. His hard work paid off when Arthur grinned at him, the albino beamed.

"This is so nice of you, Gilbert. Thank you so much." The albino found himself being hugged unexpectedly by the smaller blond.

The pale man hugged back happily before letting him go, they shared another smile until Gilbert's fidgeting caught Arthur's attention. The green-eyed male tilted his head to the side, oblivious that such a simple move had made Gilbert squeal internally, Arthur was too cute and too pure for this world.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked concerned, hugging the gifts to his chest.

"So, er, can I give you a kiss too?" Seeing a frown beginning to form across Arthur's face, Gilbert acted quickly.

As fast as lightning, Gilbert leant over and kissed the Brit’s forehead before Arthur could even open his mouth to speak. A bright blush exploded across his face, a kiss on the forehead always having been one of the sweetest acts anyone could do, to him at least.

"Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Artie." The embarrassed German muttered against his forehead before quickly running away.

Arthur took a deep breath, still a little irked that he had no chance to consent to that kiss. But looking back at the book in his hands, he couldn't stay mad at Gilbert for long. He smiled, putting the book inside his bag next to Matthew’s gift and then continuing on his way.

The Brit lost himself in thoughts as he walked which ended up resulting in bumping into someone. He focused on the person ahead of him, surprised as a soft scarf was suddenly wrapped around his neck, next thing he saw was a pair of gleeful violet eyes. Arthur jumped startled, there stood Ivan, the Russian student that was feared by pretty much everyone at school.

"День рождения-это особенный день в жизни. Наслаждайся им в полной мере." He understood nothing of what Ivan had said, but he had a strong suspicion of what he meant.

It stunned Arthur, really. Since he wasn't even that close with the Russian and yet Ivan had gone through the trouble of wishing him a happy birthday and even getting him a present.

"Uhm, thank you." Arthur timidly and rather awkwardly said as he played with the ending of the scarf, it was very soft.

Ivan smiled pleased, eyes brimming with playfulness as he watched Arthur avoiding eye contact with him. The Brit almost had a heart attack when Ivan rubbed his big nose against his, giving him the famous Eskimo kiss. The birthday boy froze, the tomato plush toy he had been carrying fell on the floor. After a pat on his head by the Russian, Arthur was left alone on the hallway to regain his bearings.

*  
The poor Brit finally arrived at his classroom, still unable to believe what had happened a while ago. He calmed himself down eventually, taking deep breaths. Arthur put the scarf inside his bag too and then opened the door, he had barely just put one foot inside the room when he was immediately pulled into a warm chest, belonging to Feliciano. Arthur blinked and sooner than he had expected he was freed from the deathly hug by none other than Lovino. The oldest twin was frowning while holding his brother by the scruff of his shirt, scolding him for his actions.

"But fratello, it's only the right thing to do for someone on their birthday! Didn't you want to wish a happy birthday to Arthur, too?" Feliciano whined, making Lovino sputter.

"I never said that! Don't just assume things!" The grumpy Italian denied.  
"Yes, you did! You also prepared a gift for Art-hhmmm!"  
Lovino quickly sealed his brother’s mouth shut with his hand before dragging his twin to a corner. The Italians started whispering to each other, raising Arthur's curiosity. Shrugging, the Brit went to his seat and placed his things on the table, including the bright red tomato plush.

"Otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu, Arthur-san." A calm voice greeted the blond and Arthur whirled around to see Kiku standing with Ludwig by his side.

"Happy birthday, Arthur. I hope you'll have a nice and peaceful birthday." The polite German wished; a watch stored inside a small transparent box with a green ribbon wrapped around it soon was given to him together with a plastic bag containing a brand new jacket from Kiku.

Receiving such luxurious gifts from his friends was making the Brit uneasy, he had no idea how everyone had found out about his birthday. Arthur said thank you and put the expensive gifts into his bag which was already very full, he didn’t know if he could fit anything else in there. The Italian twins grabbed him suddenly then by each hand, Lovino scowling as always while Feliciano kept his easy-going smile. It seemed like they had come to some sort of agreement; both brothers dropped a present for him then casually kissed Arthur on his cheeks at the same time.

"Buon compleanno, Arthur!" They shouted simultaneously, even though Feliciano's voice was heard more than his mumbling brother.

Everyone in the classroom squealed out loud upon the cute and unusual display. And being stared at like that, Arthur couldn't help but wish for the floor to open up and just swallow him right then and there.

Feliciano grinned charmingly while Lovino was eyeing him seductively, Arthur’s face flushed a deep red, not knowing how to react in that kind of situation, the flustered Brit quickly thanked them and dashed out the room, completely missing the disappointed look from the twins who had been planning to ask him out for dinner that night. Arthur had felt all eyes on him as he ran off, but he ignored them, too unsettled to mind. On his way out he met a certain Portuguese on the open corridor that managed to get a small smile out of him.

"Where are you going?" Antonio’s older brother, João, asked, he had just arrived at school on the last bus.

Arthur stopped running and took a much-needed breath, his best friend waited patiently for him to adjust. Then, João fished out something from within the pocket of his trousers. Arthur watched curiously as the taller man walked up to him.

"I have something for you, but could you turn around first?" He requested kindly, smiling cheerfully.

Despite his curiousness, Arthur complied and slowly turned around. He felt the Portuguese moving closer to him, pressing against his back and then a cold sensation on his skin made him look down. A silver chain necklace was the first thing he saw, then hanging from it was an emerald stardust dome pendant. The glass dome was caging a shimmering green crystal ball, it glittered nicely under the sunlight. Arthur's breath hitched, utterly speechless as he saw his own eyes reflected on said pendant.

A pair of arms slowly wrapped around his waist, João then whispered into his ear seductively:

"Parabéns, Artur." Green eyes widened and his face flared up all over again as João kissed the corner of his lips. Arthur just stood there like a statue, his brain couldn't seem to work at that moment.  
João pulled back and released the smaller male, a chuckle escaping him as he noted the dazed green eyes staring up at him. Having said and done all he wanted to do; the brown-haired student took his leave after flashing the frozen Arthur another smile. The Brit raised his hand and touched the corner of his lips, he looked down at his feet, his mind still trying to process what had happened. He was too busy replaying the scene again and again that he didn’t notice the pair of feet that joined him.

"Artie? Why are you standing here alone?" Someone asked him, successfully snapping him from his thoughts.

Looking up, Arthur was met with a pair of concerning blue eyes hidden behind glasses. It was Alfred, the popular American student that had been disturbing his peaceful school days.

"N-Nothing! I was just about to walk to class!" He lied, defensive.  
Alfred frowned; he actually had seen Arthur with João earlier but had no idea what they had been talking about. Needless to say, he found the sight of other people being too close to Arthur very annoying. The taller blond became very jealous especially since the damned Portuguese had the nerve to send him a victorious smirk the moment he saw Alfred. His good mood had dropped and immediately he approached the Brit as soon as João left.

"Alfred!" Arthur’s worried voice brought him back from his mind.

The American laughed loudly, waving aside Arthur's concern over his wellbeing. The Brit scowled, he had gotten a little worried when Alfred just stood there unresponsive since he had called him three times already, but then the git just laughed it off as if his concern was worth nothing. Sensing the dark aura coming from Arthur, Alfred grinned sheepishly and apologized.

"Don't pout, Artie!" Alfred poked his cheek, his hand being swatted away by the sulking Brit.

"I'm not!" Came the negative response, drawing out a chuckle from Alfred.

"Alright, alright! Let's go to class together then!" Declared Alfred before starting to walk only to stop a few steps after.

Arthur stared at him confused, Alfred just removed his bag from his back and started searching for something within it. Arthur kept watching as he struggled in his search and a sudden realisation hit him. Was Alfred going to give him a gift too? Does he know, too? Wondered Arthur, a small smile subconsciously appearing, the thought that his secret crush acknowledged his birthday making him giddy.

“Here, thank you for lending it to me!”  
His hopeful thoughts were shattered upon finding out Alfred was only returning a notebook he had borrowed from Arthur two days ago.

The smaller blond grabbed the notebook and without saying anything, he ran away again. The Brit ignored the American’s call, more than a little upset about the fact that everyone remembered his special day, but that everyone didn't include the bloody American idiot. His good mood dropped straightaway. Alfred frowned, once again without knowing how, he had ruined the chance to become closer to the Brit. He wondered what the matter was, but he couldn't come up with anything. Huffing, he decided to go after Arthur.

*  
The bell rang loudly signalling that it was lunch time for all the students. Alfred had spent his whole-time watching Arthur's back, he was sitting two seats ahead of him. The Brit didn't say a single word to him, it was very frustrating to him, and at the same time he was confused by the evil looks sent to him by almost all of his classmates. Alfred didn’t remember doing anything wrong that would earn him such unfriendly looks and cold shoulders like that. He even had tried to ask about it to his seat mate but only got a shrug in return. The only way to find out was to confront Arthur himself. Unfortunately, his adorable crush had disappeared among the crowd as soon as the bell rang.

The American sighed to himself while slumping down on the table, looking exactly like a middle-aged man that had just went through a bad divorce and was now living alone and miserable. Seeing how hopeless he looked, Kiku took pity on him.

"Alfred-san, is there something troubling you?" The Japanese asked quietly slightly worried over his usual obnoxious and happy friend.

Huffing and pouting, Alfred straightened up in the chair and threw a look that reminded Kiku of a kicked puppy. The Japanese’s brows furrowed with sympathy, if Alfred was showing that kind of look it usually meant that it had something to do with Arthur.

"It's Arthur. He’s mad at me again. But I haven't done anything to him?" The  
dejected American explained, Kiku hummed thoughtfully.

Of course, it was about Arthur, he should have been expecting that by now since only the Brit could make Alfred switch personality like that. The Japanese boy smiled mysteriously, an idea suddenly emerging in his mind.

"Do you know what day it is for Arthur-san?" That got him a confused blink from Alfred followed by a deadpan expression.

"It's Monday, he might have a meeting with the Council today, I don’t know. What about it?"

Kiku took a deep breath. The American usually memorized Arthur's schedule, without the other knowing of course. Sometimes, Kiku thought that Alfred was actually stalking Arthur around school, which the American denied whenever he brought up the issue. Among all the things Alfred knew about Arthur, why was it that he didn’t know about his birthday? Or could it be that Alfred forgot because he’s been too busy?  
Kiku shook his head, Arthur being moody during class was understandable now.

Clearly Arthur was waiting for the one he wanted the most to actually wish him a happy birthday, sadly the American had forgotten that very important detail. Of course, Arthur would be mad, Alfred was being an idiot (as always…). Kiku sighed, the lack of communication between these two was astounding. They were obviously into each other, everyone could tell that, yet they never were honest with themselves. Two idiots.

"April 23rd. Does it ring a bell?" Kiku tried to make him remember without telling the explicit reason behind the date, but he only got a blank look from Alfred making him sigh exasperated. “Today is Arthur-san’s birthday." Kiku went directly to the point, it was kind of satisfying seeing the American’s blue eyes widen in shock comically.

The blank face had quickly vanished, and a terrified look took its place, it was the confirmation he needed to know that Alfred had forgotten it. Time to put his plan into action.

"You had forgotten about it, didn’t you? Hmm, too bad then since you aren't the first one to greet him like I was expecting." Kiku's words made him freeze, misery clouds appearing above his head, but the Japanese’s next words snapped him out of his depression.

"Ah, I thought you'd give him a gift too, just like the rest of our classmates. Arthur-san looked really happy and the face he made was so cute… Especially when they gave him kisses..."

Hearing about kisses, Alfred's features hardened. It was bad already when he failed to be the first to say happy birthday, and now, to know that they kissed him! It sent Alfred into a fit of rage and jealousy.

"What?! That's sexual harassment! How dare they! I'll beat the shit out of them!" The American stood up, an angry blush on his face.

"Calm down, Alfred-san. They just kissed his cheeks, it wasn't sexual harassment." Kiku explained, he didn't want Alfred to actually go and pick a fight with everyone, although the mischievous glint in his eyes had yet to vanish.

"But—"  
"What about you? Have you given him a present yet?" That finally shut him up, Alfred fidgeted as every pair of eyes fell on him. The lack of an answer urged him to continue the teasing, "Ah, you forgot his birthday. I guess you also—" His taunting got cut by Alfred's loud interjection.

"What are you talking about?! Of course, I remembered! I’m just waiting for the perfect moment to give it to him since the best one is always the last! Hahahaha!" Alfred laughed, avoiding looking at Kiku's amused gaze.

Doubtful eyes from everyone almost shattered his awkward smile, he fidgeted and tried his best to look cool and confident. Kiku smirked lightly, Alfred was a terrible liar. Their classmates shared his thought, a few of them were giggling at the American while the rest tried to hide their snickers. It wasn't everyday they saw Alfred cowering under someone’s eyes.

"Of course, but you should go and give it to him now. I just saw him leave with Ivan-senpai." He lied smoothly, and as expected Alfred's face darkened instantly as soon as he heard the name of the person he despised the most.

Alfred had to save his Arthur from the big and mean Russian. The image of a shaking Arthur being cornered by a smirking Ivan formed inside his wild imagination; his eyebrows furrowed. Oh, no, he couldn’t let that happen! Hands curled up in tight fists, the American stormed out of the classroom and began searching for Arthur.

"Ah, idiots in love… Good luck." Kiku whispered smiling happily.

***  
The Arthur in question was sitting alone on the rooftop, nibbling on a cookie that Matthew had given him as present earlier. The blond sulked, still in a bad mood. It’s not like it was that big of a deal that Alfred didn’t know about his birthday, after all. It wasn't like he had hoped for something sweet given to him by Alfred, much less a kiss. His cheeks heated up at the thought of Alfred kissing him. He sputtered and huffed, trying to erase the ridiculous image from his mind. Although, it'd be very nice if Alfred actually knew about it, he didn't really want a present or anything... Just a simple greeting would do… And again, if Alfred decided to give him a present, that'd be a bonus, maybe followed by a kis—

"Stupid! Stupid! Go away!" The thoughtful Brit slapped himself softly, unwilling to let his mind wonder more than it already had.

Sighing, Arthur pushed himself up and dusted his trousers from any dirt and made his way down. Better let his mind focus on tasks he had yet to finish regarding his status as President of the Students Council so that those inappropriate thought won't haunt him again. Halfway toward the Students Council room, a call from behind halted him. He whirled around and he saw Howard, one of his Juniors who was running towards him with a big smile on his face while carrying a small plastic bag in hand. Howard stopped right before Arthur, catching his breath.

"Are you okay? Is something at the matter?" Arthur asked once Howard straightened up.

"Yes, I am! Nothing’s wrong! I was just looking for you to give you this!" The black-haired man replied as he gave the bag to Arthur.

"For me?" Arthur asked just to be sure that the bag was really for him.

Howard nodded vigorously at that. The bag contained a small snow globe, a small figure with blond hair stood inside it underneath the falling snowflakes with a small cottage behind him. The lone tree covered with snow was the only thing accompanying said figure. A beautiful gift that Arthur loved instantly.

"This is beautiful. Thank you, Howard." Arthur smiled sweetly at the lad, resulting in Howard becoming all flustered and proud of himself.

Internally, he was gasping with hands clutching over his chest as if a love arrow had pierced him, that simple smile was too cute, Howard couldn't resist. He snapped back to reality and gave Arthur a soothing smile in return.

"You're welcome and happy birthday!" He said softly, slowly bending down to Arthur's height, planning to give the blond a kiss on his forehead.

Arthur looked up at him with innocent eyes and Howard shut his own, only an inch away to deliver the kiss if only no one interrupted...

*  
Alfred had been looking for Arthur everywhere but had yet to find him. He let out a frustrated sigh while walking along the quiet corridor. Kicking invisible dirt with his foot, Alfred took a right turn and his blue eyes widened in shock upon the horrible sightblaid before him. Arthur was leaning his back against the wall with some student hovering over him, eyes completely shut, and he noticed that said student was trying to give Arthur a kiss. His jealousy and anger immediately kicked in and without thinking, Alfred ran full speed towards them and snatched Arthur up over his shoulder before he could react and ran away carrying Arthur like a sack of potatoes. Poor Howard met the cold wall and not the smooth skin of his idol. That sent him into a fit of confusion and disappointment upon opening his eyes. His first kiss was stolen by a plain wall. Poor Howard, he knelt and cried quietly.

Despite the struggle, the screams and curses Arthur aimed at him, Alfred kept running until they reached the door of the Students Council room. He knew the only place he could be alone with Arthur was there, but how wrong he was. Without putting Arthur down Alfred kicked the door open and walked in only to freeze at the sight before him. Their classmates and all the Student Council members were as surprised as the American. Each one was wearing a birthday hat, a banner stretched out across the wall, the table once covered with papers was now clean and replaced with a birthday cake, along with a few presents.

Everything was set except the candles on the cake weren’t yet lit. It seemed like the surprise party for their dear President had failed. And the culprit of it stood there like a statue with a protesting Arthur on his shoulder. The small blond stopped his escape attempt when he caught sight of people inside the room.

"Is this the gift you meant? You're so bold, Alfred-san." Kiku broke the silence and snapped a picture of the newcomers.

The clicking sound of the camera brought Arthur back from his daze and he started to struggle more furiously.

"Let me down, wanker!" The blushing Alfred finally complied to the Brit’s request and started denying Kiku’s claims.

"You're mistaken! I was just about to give it to him, but not what you're thinking!" Alfred defended himself, earning everyone's gaze, including Arthur's.

"Really? Mm… Why is it so hard for us to believe that?" Francis spoke up, a small smirk already spreading across his face.

"Because you’re a fucking pervert. I was saving Arthur, you know?!" Arthur looked at him with a deadpan expression.

It hadn’t been a saving but rather a hit to his dignity. Everyone had been laughing, giggling and even whistling at them when Alfred ran past them on the corridor. He didn't want to know what they will say to him tomorrow. He would probably be teased more; Arthur covered his face in embarrassment.

"Saving me, my arse!" He yelled back at the bespectacled boy.

"That’s what I was doing! You're welcome!" The dense Alfred only smiled widely and gave him a thumbs up, which sent Arthur into a fit.

"I'm not thanking you, twat!" Arthur kicked Alfred, but with his embarrassed state, he hardly hurt the American.

"Woah! Stop, Artie! What are you doing?" Alfred backed away, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Kicking the idiocy out of your head!"

"But you're kicking my legs instead of my head?"  
"Shut up! Do you want me to bloody kick you there?"  
"Uh— Please, don't! I'm sorry!"  
"No, you're not sor—"  
"Ahem!" A cough from Gilbert finally stopped their bickering.  
Their bickering was always one of the most entertaining things to see but not on a time like this. Both blonds calmed down and stood side to side as the rest of the occupants in the room cornered them.

"So, where's the gift?" Antonio asked, a cheerful smile on his face, Alfred gulped.  
He fidgeted under those curious, mischievous eyes, the demanding stares from everyone, cold sweat started dripping down his forehead, since, clearly, he didn't have the gift they were asking for. But, looking to the side and straight into Arthur's hopeful eyes calmed him down somehow. His blue eyes lowered, stumbling upon those slightly parted pink lips. The Brit’s cute face was softly flushed red, long eyelashes moving as its owner blinked, those shining green eyes were still pinning him down with a longing look. Alfred didn’t have the heart to crush that look and replace it with a disappointed one, he had to do something. But what?

"Come on, don't you have something to say? We don't have all the time in the world here." Lovino spoke up, annoyance clear in his voice.

Alfred took a deep breath. He had an idea but was too afraid to act on it. What if Arthur didn't like it and pushed him away? What if it made him uncomfortable and the Brit ended up hating him for this? He wasn't ready for that! Alfred placed both hands on Arthur's small shoulders, guiding the Brit to face him. Clear blue eyes stared into those soothing green ones, and suddenly he was able to breath.

'That's right... I am a hero and I should act like one! I'll take on whatever comes my way!' He cheered for himself, and with newfound courage, slowly leant closer to Arthur.

The Brit squeaked internally as Alfred closed the distance between them. He could see Alfred's handsome face just an inch away and his heartbeat sped up. A soothing rub on his cheek made his breath hitch, but the gentle smile from Alfred soothed his nerves. Alfred closed his eyes followed by Arthur. Everyone was holding their breath and once those lips met in a soft kiss, there was a flash from Kiku’s camera, who, of course, had to immediately capture that moment, but neither Alfred nor Arthur seemed to even have noticed.

The American wrapped an arm around Arthur's small waist, pulling him closer, Arthur braced his hands on the other’s chest. Alfred’s free hand cupped the Brit’s cheek so he could deepen their kiss. He moved slowly, earning a small moan from Arthur when he licked his bottom lip. The Brit opened his mouth and Alfred eagerly pushed his tongue inside, ready to go on an adventure inside it, but before he could, a cough from João snapped them back to reality.

Alfred pulled away, both were panting lightly, they stood still, wrapped up in each other.

"Happy birthday, Arthur!... Hum… So, would you like to go out with me later?"

Out of topic indeed, but since Arthur hadn’t pushed him away and had actually returned the kiss gave him the courage to ask him. He waited patiently for some kind of answer and ended up receiving a shy nod from the Brit which made a large grin form on his face. Alfred hugged Arthur tightly, making the Brit yelp. They didn't notice that everyone had by then left the room.

"Thank you." Arthur whispered softly, but Alfred heard him clear.

The ring of the bell caused them to jump back and release each other. It was time to go back to class. The new couple laughed awkwardly before Alfred reached out a hand to Arthur.

"Let's go to class?" He flashed a charming smile and was rewarded with Arthur's smaller one.

"Yeah." Arthur nodded taking the offered hand.

Alfred was taken back in surprise upon finding himself laid flat on the floor after Arthur flipped him. The smug Brit looked down at him.

"That's payback for kissing me without taking me on a date first." With that, Arthur walked away nonchalantly, leaving a gasping Alfred behind.

"Artieeeee! You're so mean to your boyfriend!" Whined the American before he quickly stood up onto his feet and chased after the Brit.

He missed the fond smile spreading across Arthur's face.


End file.
